Take care around buses

IT would have to be every parent's worst nightmare. You receive the dreadful news your child has just been run over by a car. Coffs Harbour 11-year-old Brook Gorman sent her mum and dad Claudia and Brian into panic mode recently when she was hit in Combine Street. Brook had just stepped off her school bus when she crossed the road in front of the bus and was bowled over by a Falcon travelling west. "I fell over and rolled a bit," Brook said. "I got scratches up my leg and bruises on my hip and I couldn't walk for a couple of days." Thankfully, the car driver was only travelling slowly, which undoubtedly spared the youngster from serious injury. The horrified bus driver, William Lagettie, and bystanders carried Brook off the road to the safety of the footpath. Then William ran to Brook's home 100 metres up the road to raise the alarm. Brook's father wasted no time in getting to his daughter as quickly as possible. While a trip to the hospital wasn't necessary in the end, Brook's folks kept a close eye on her to make sure she didn't deteriorate. "She seemed to be fine, other than shock and bruising," Claudia said. "I would like to thank the driver of the car for going so slowly. If he hadn't, the outcome would have certainly been different. "It's an important reminder that people need to be careful around buses and schoolchildren. "We're also grateful to William for his care and concern." Brook says she's now very wary about crossing the road and that she's learned a valuable lesson ? to wait until the bus leaves before crossing. "It's been a hard lesson, but a very good one," Claudia said. "Luckily, she got out of it without any serious injury." William said he sounded his horn to try to catch Brook's attention as she started running, but it was too late. She was sent flying across the car's bonnet and onto the road. "She went to get up and fell down again and I thought she'd broken her head," William said. "It does shake you up. "I say to the kids every day, in fact eight or 10 times in an afternoon, wait until the bus has gone, look before you cross and don't run."